Best Practices for Conversational Interactions

1. Keep It Simple and Actionable

Do

• Be concise — avoid long paragraphs
• Reveal details gradually (progressive disclosure)
• Guide users step-by-step toward outcomes
• Offer short, clear next steps (“Want me to show that report?”)

Don’t

• Overload users with multiple suggestions or cards
• Mix unrelated intents in one reply
• Flood the chat with stacked outputs

2. Managing Conversations

Keep the conversation alive when:

• The user pauses briefly or closes the chat for a few minutes
• The previous task is incomplete or awaiting input

Start a new conversation when:

• The context is outdated or irrelevant
• The user starts a new intent
• The session expired or was cleared

Treat the agent like an assistant — always ready to resume, but respectful of resets.

3. When to Elaborate vs. Be Brief

Situation	Agent Style	Example
New or complex topic	Elaborate	”Here’s how pipeline analysis works — want an example?”
Ongoing task	Brief	”Got it — filtering for Q3.”
Confirmations	Minimal	”Done.”
Ambiguous intent	Clarify	”Should I update or create a new record?”

Be detailed when it helps, brief when it doesn’t.

4. Handling Missing Actions

When users request something unsupported, respond gracefully.

Option 1: Generic fallback

“That action isn’t available right now, but I’ve noted it for future support.”

Option 2: Suggest related actions

“I can’t update leads yet, but I can show their activity or create a note.”

Option 3: Log user intent

“Got it — I’ve noted that you’d like to automate this workflow.”

Recommended: Combine Option 2 + Option 3 → Suggest useful alternatives and log missing intents for telemetry.

5. Agent Instruction Summary

Keep the agent aligned with user expectations.

agentInstruction: "Be concise by default. Elaborate only when explaining new concepts. When an action is missing, suggest related ones and log the user's intent."